Press Release California
Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice California Endorses Aisha Wahab for California’s 10th State Senate District
For Immediate Release: Thursday, November 18, 2021
Contact: [email protected]
California’s leading reproductive freedom advocacy group endorses Aisha Wahab to represent State Senate District 10
Sacramento — NARAL Pro-Choice California today announced its endorsement of Aisha Wahab in her bid to represent California’s 10th state Senate District in 2022. Wahab is seeking to fill the vacancy created by the departure of state Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), who terms out in 2022. Wahab currently serves as mayor pro tempore and city council member of Hayward, blazing a trail as the first Afghan-American woman elected to public office in the United States.
NARAL Pro-Choice California Director Shannon Olivieri Hovis said:
“NARAL Pro-Choice California and our nearly 300,000 members across the Golden State are proud to endorse Hayward City Councilmember Aisha Wahab to champion reproductive freedom in the 10th Senate District. Wahab’s public service and community advocacy demonstrate the leadership that Californians need to protect and expand abortion access at a time when it faces unprecedented threats across the country. NARAL Pro-Choice California enthusiastically supports Wahab in her campaign to ensure every body has the freedom to make their own decisions about their lives, families, and futures.”
Aisha Wahab, NARAL Pro-Choice California’s endorsed candidate for state Senate District 10, said:
“I’m proud to have the sole endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice California, especially as our reproductive freedoms are under attack across the country. I’ll fight for policies and infrastructure such as paid family leave, accessible fertility and family planning, affordable childcare, and quality healthcare. Reproductive freedom for all and quality of life for modern families are a top priority.”
Wahab is a dedicated public servant and community advocate, with a strong record of implementing policies that benefit women and families and expand access to affordable healthcare for Californians. Just last month, Wahab led on approving a resolution to declare Hayward a supporter and defender of reproductive freedom. She also served as the emcee for the October 2 San Jose “March for Reproductive Rights.” Wahab previously served as an Alameda County Public Health Commissioner and is committed to expanding abortion access and comprehensive reproductive healthcare for all Californians and setting a strong example for other states.
California plays a key role in defending access to abortion care as reproductive freedom faces unprecedented threats. On December 1, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. With an eye to the Court’s anti-choice supermajority, lawmakers hostile to reproductive freedom have ramped up their attacks on abortion access in hopes of ultimately overturning Roe. This year, more than 100 restrictions on abortion access have been enacted at the state level, making it the worst year for abortion rights since Roe was decided.
Although California is a leader in reproductive freedom and healthcare innovation, much work remains for the state to meet this moment should Roe fall. Last week, NARAL Pro-Choice California released the 2021 Reproductive Freedom Legislative Scorecard, its first scorecard in more than 20 years. Of the 15 proactive reproductive freedom bills scored this year, just seven were signed into law or accomplished through this year’s budget. Among the bills that stalled were major bills to expand access to abortion care and birth control, a bill to curtail denials of reproductive and gender-inclusive care, and a bill to expand access to family leave.
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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, paid family leave, and protections from pregnancy discrimination—for every body. NARAL is powered by its more than 2.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.